‘Ticket of No Return’: The feminist German movie about the joy of getting hammered
We’ve all been there – walking through town as the afternoon is turning to evening and witnessing a rowdy group of men who’ve already had a few too many. As they erupt into cheers and shouts, you wonder if you’ve ever been as annoying as this on a night out. Maybe you have, but who can remember? Regardless, there’s one thing for certain: it’s much less frowned upon for men to drink excessively than women.
In fact, countless studies have shown that there are intrinsic links between high alcohol consumption and men, with the activity closely associated with affirming masculinity among male friendship groups. Seeing who can drink the most, who can chug the fastest, and who can last the longest on a night out are seen as stereotypically masculine ideas. Men who abstain from drinking are stereotypically likely to be ridiculed, especially in a setting such as high school or university, and women who can drink incredibly large quantities are often labelled as ‘one of the lads’ or seen as ‘unladylike’.
In 1979, German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger challenged the way that men are able to get away with so much more than women when it comes to acting against social norms in public. Whether that be pissing in the street when drunk or causing general chaos due to being overly intoxicated, men have long been able to get away with being antisocial compared to women – the masculine associations with alcohol and drunkenness seemingly acting as an excuse for unruly behaviour.
Ottinger’s film Ticket of No Return centres around one woman’s desire to drink like a fish, letting nothing stop her from getting absolutely plastered. It’s the kind of movie you’d expect a man to lead, but Ottinger put her own feminist spin on the idea, asking us to consider why the image of a woman excessively drinking is more prone to criticism.
The film follows Tabea Blumenschein in the leading role, her character simply known as ‘She’, acting as more of a symbol than an actual complex character with reasons for being such a way. Aesthetically, the movie is highly stylised, with Blumenschein often wearing bright primary colours and striking makeup. You can imagine a still from the movie being used as cover art for Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’, which was released just a year before. The film looks like it should have been soundtracked by the German electronic outfit, but sadly, it was not.
The film sees the woman visit a variety of locations, no matter what they’re like, determined to secure a drink on her quest to get as drunk as she physically can. It’s hedonistically fun, with Blumenschein’s character unafraid to act in a way that was deemed culturally unacceptable, and this theme of acting out of line with societal expectations is continued through her engagement with lesbianism.
Meanwhile, three women, known as Social Question, Accurate Statistics and Common Sense, comment on our protagonist’s behaviour like they are her guardian angels, although they are less concerned with protecting her and more bothered with discussing what it means to be a woman drinking alcohol and what it takes to be considered an alcoholic. Ottinger explores society’s preconceived notions of women drinking alone in public, suggesting that people might assume there’s an ulterior motive at play. Can a woman not just enjoy the feeling of being drunk?
The film is often surreal and revels in the avant-garde, encouraging us to think about womanhood, alcohol, social expectations and double standards, as well as asking us to simply enjoy the chaos and the calamity.